How to change the color of an element in Canva

You can easily change the color of graphic elements in Canva using color swatches. And just because elements are non-editable doesn't mean you can't edit their colors. You can use Canva's Duotone app to change the color of elements without a palette.

How to change the color of an editable Canva element

Changing the color of an editable SVG element in Canva is simple. You can even create these elements in external software to upload to Canva for future color changes. If you don't create an SVG in Illustrator to edit in Canva, you can use the many options available in the Canva Elements tab.

If the graphic you selected is editable, follow the steps below to change its color.

Step 1: Select an element from the Elements tab

Once you've selected an element, it will appear on your artboard. You can resize it, move it around the artboard, or change the layers in your Canva design to add some dimension to your work.

With the element placed where you want it, you can change the color of that element to better match the color scheme of your design.

Step 2: Select your element to display the Color Palette

Select a graphic element on your artboard. If a color palette appears above the toolbar, it means the element is an SVG and can be edited with a new color.

The element's base color will appear as a palette with square color swatch options above the artboard - one color per square. Some squares can be the same color, meaning that two or more areas of the image can be edited even if the creator intended them to be the same color.

Step 3: Change Color Swatch

To change any element's color, select the square swatch whose color you want to change. Once selected, a color tab will appear on the left side of the artboard, giving you a variety of options for changing the color.

You can use the color picker, type or paste a HEX code, or use a predefined color palette. Change the color to any color swatch you want, as many times as you want. The original palette will remain on the colors tab under Document Colors if you want to go back to it.

Unfortunately, you cannot save your newly colored graphic element. The color will revert to its original color the next time you use it.

How to change the color of a non-editable Canva element

Most of Canva's graphic elements are SVG, but if you choose one where color swatches don't appear, you'll have some extra trouble editing colors since the file type doesn't support direct editing.

Step 1: Select the element from the Elements tab

Since you can't tell from the Elements tab what format an element is in, you'll have to select an element and open it in your artboard. If the swatches don't appear, then it's a non-SVG element.

However, you can still edit the color of elements by following these steps - this technique applies to non-editable graphic elements and images, and can also be applied to editable elements.

Step 2: Find and select the Duotone effect

Select an element on your drawing and select Edit Photo or Edit Image which will appear instead of a color swatch for editable elements.

If you selected Edit Photo , select Effects in the left panel. Then scroll down to fx Effects and select Duotone .

If you select Edit Image , the menu will be different. Scroll down to the You may also like section , where you'll find Duotone along with a bunch of other Canva apps. Alternatively, you can type "Duotone" into the search bar.

Duotone is a photo editing technique that uses two colors to color an image. It is traditionally used in lighting or editing for traditional photography. You can create a similar duotone effect in Adobe Photoshop.

Step 3: Edit colors with Duotone

In most cases, using Duotone won’t change colors as precisely as the palette option for editable elements, its success depends on the original element or image color. But when you’re working with non-editable elements, Duotone can be a lifesaver for color correction.

You can choose from over 20 duotone color options. Selecting a preset will apply it to your element as a color tone. When selected, it will colorize your image with the two selected colors mixed together.

Step 4: Use Duotone controls for color accuracy

After selecting any Duotone preset, you can change the controls for more precision. While these controls may not allow you to precisely recolor your element, they can give you a more desirable result.

The Duotone controls include Highlights and Shadows color swatches as well as an Intensity slider . The Intensity slider allows you to more or less display the element's original color, and the color swatches determine the color your element changes to.

While this may not be the perfect way to change the color of a Canva element, it can be a great help when the color palette isn't a usable option.